PNG forests made him a millionaire; now tax man wants his cut
19 December 2015
VANDA CARSON | The Courier-Mail
A MILLIONAIRE businessman faces bankruptcy after losing a $60 million battle with the Australian Taxation Office.
Sir Yii Ann Hii, 55, from Hamilton in Brisbane’s inner east, lost his bid in the Supreme Court yesterday to “stay” enforcement of a court order that he pay the massive tax bill.
Sir Yii Ann, who was knighted by the Queen in 2007 for his services to the timber industry in Papua New Guinea, could now lose “everything that (he has) worked for over the past 30 or so years”. He had asked Justice John Bond to force the ATO to wait until he tries to overturn a ruling that he “evaded” tax.
The case is set down for hearing in April in the Federal Court in Brisbane. Justice Bond on Thursday ruled that Sir Yii Ann had failed to provide solid evidence that the ATO should wait to make a claim for his assets.
Will the tax men in Australia be able to get this caterpillar of PNG's rainforest?
His getting knighthood is just another example of the depths of the shady dealings in PNG's forest industry over past 30 years.
He is well connected with all the Sarawak players of Malaysia in the Rip-it-out Ship-it-out industry which has plagued PNG, despite Forest Minister Douglas Tomuriesa saying to the contrary or his being against stopping clearfelling in many illegal SABLs – the perverted policy that has allowed loggers to avoid conservation and good forest laws.
Surely the golden goose of SABL was hatched in the luxury hotel rooms by the robber barons and corruptible elites of Moresby.
If you have an hour to spare you can get more stories about this character.
Hii's heinous poverty claims were exploded in a Nov 4 2015 report in the Borneo Post: “According to Australian news reports, due to his possession of luxurious motor vehicles including several Rolls-Royces, a Bentley, a Lamborghini and a bullet-proof Hummer as well as a A$14-million mansion in Brisbane and A$31 million house in Singapore, his claim of being poor was looked upon with scepticism.
One explicit report is of his alleged connection with Kina Securities apparently owned by RH detailed in Masalai Tokaut March 6 2006 Issue 44.
Then from Philippines: Manila Times June 13 2013 - 'Shady firm gyps govt, gains mining rights' It tells of what are normal shenanigans for Sir Hii.
The web that he is involved in has a strangle hold on Sarawak is readable in Jan 20 2011 of Sarawak Report entitled – 'First-our-trees-now-our-oil - Siphoning off Sarawak’s oil reserves'
Ask a Dyak how they feel mistreated by the elite minority ruling Borneo
When PNG's forest were investigated by Justice Barnett I felt then and have been vindicated ever since that the well dressed public servants and indeed their Ministerial mastas are business babies and certainly no match for the big businessmen spivs of the north.
So it is that PNG is still allowing it rich rainforest to be depleted for a pittance and only a few voices like Governor Juffa raise themselves against the pillage.
Hope the Oz taxmen can nail Sir Hii or will he hii-hii-hii all the way home.
Posted by: Arthur Williams | 21 December 2015 at 07:47 PM
Mr.Hii, with his brothers first entered PNG and developed the Hawain LFA in the East Sepik Province and sold it to RH and Invited RH to PNG.
They then re-emerged in Manus as Monarch Investments.
From Manus they entered Morobe were they were involved in logging the Buhem-Mongi LFA.
Port Moresby residents will be farmiliar with Fugui Restraunt and Invest well building in the suburb of Gordons.
The character that sits on the bronze sculpture of the horse in front of that building is Mr.Hii who incidently owns that building and all the land at Four Mile directly opposite the Works Headquarters.
His elder brother owns the land on the other side of Vision City and is currently battling another Chinese group, Home Guard Ltd, for title of the new developments going up in that area.
He is also involved in developing real estate with Sam Pepena formerly of Money Rain at the back of Gerehu just before the dump site.
It would be interesting to know how much in taxes this family owes to the government of PNG.
Posted by: Gabriel Ramoi | 19 December 2015 at 06:41 PM